Fighting between Palestinians and Israeli troops is raging through densely populated refugee camps in the West Bank, with reports of heavy loss of life in the northern town of Jenin. 

Those that don't surrender, we will kill them

Israeli commander in Jenin

Residents at the Jenin refugee camp said they feared a "massacre" was taking place, and one Palestinian fighter said he had counted 30 dead bodies. 

Israeli air force commander Dan Halutz told a news conference that seven soldiers had been killed over the past two days in Jenin.

Fierce clashes were also reported in Nablus, the biggest Palestinian city in the West Bank, where Israel forces attacked targets in its historic market area and surrounded the Balata refugee camp. 

The Palestinians have appealed for international intervention

Israeli forces pushed ahead with its military offensive despite an American warning to stop incursions into Palestinian towns "without delay" ahead of US Secretary of State Colin Powell's tour of the region. 

Mr Powell said he had no plans to see Palestinian Authority president Yasser Arafat during his visit, but other Palestinian leaders have said they will boycott Mr Powell if there is no Arafat meeting. 

Surrender call

An Israeli commander in the Jenin area said Palestinian fighters at the Jenin camp had "their backs against the wall" and there had been "many casualties". 

"We trapped them in there, attacked them with the intention that they should surrender. Those that don't surrender, we will kill them", said Tat Aluf Eyal Shlein.

	Click here for map of Israeli operation

Palestinians said there had been intense bombardment through the night by Israeli tanks and helicopters. 

"I myself counted 30 dead bodies. There are a tremendous number of injured people. The international community will be shocked at the number of injured people," a Palestinian fighter named Abu Irmail told Reuters news agency. 

Army units moved into the autonomous towns of Yatta, south of Hebron, and Qabatiya, north of Nablus on Saturday.

Two Palestinians were killed and seven wounded in Yatta as tanks backed by helicopters fought their way into the centre of town, Palestinian security sources said. 

Ariel Sharon said military operations would continue

A shopkeeper in Nablus told the BBC that the deafening sound of explosions was like an earthquake. He said ambulances were unable to move on the streets because of Israeli gunfire. 

Mr Powell, who is due to set out on a visit to the region on Sunday, warned Israel that it should not wait until then to instigate a withdrawal.

"The president's expectation is that the incursions will stop and the withdrawal process will begin as soon as possible or without delay," he said. 

The militant group Hamas is vowing revenge for the killing of six of its fighters on Friday, including Qais Idwan, the man Israel blames for the "Passover massacre" last week which killed 26 people and triggered the current offensive.

Arafat meeting

Israeli official insist the Americans are not seeking an immediate withdrawal of Israeli forces, which would only happen "after having cleaned up the nest of terrorists" in the words of one spokesman.

It will be a new kind of punishment... that will shake [Israel] and destroy its pillars

Hamas statement

On Friday, US envoy Anthony Zinni was allowed to meet Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat in his besieged Ramallah headquarters to pave the way for Mr Powell's visit.

However, on Saturday, US diplomatic sources quoted by AFP said Israel had blocked Mr Zinni from a follow-up visit, citing security reasons. 

US ceasefire plans have been stalled because a meeting of a three-man Palestinian security committee has yet to take place - its members are currently stranded in Gaza, Ramallah and Jericho by the Israeli blockade. 

Bethlehem stand-off

Vatican diplomats are reported to have put forward a proposal to Israelis and Palestinians to end a stand-off at the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem which is in its fifth day.

Clerics have been caught up in fighting in Bethlehem

One unnamed church source said the proposal calls for the Palestinians to leave their weapons inside the church complex and for the Israeli army to pull back from the immediate vicinity for a few hours to let them out.

Israel says it has taken 900 Palestinian prisoners since its campaign began on 29 March.

Israeli troops still control nearly all of the West Bank and have declared the occupied towns to be closed military zones out of bounds to journalists.

British peacekeepers have exchanged gunfire with "neighbourhood watch" members in Kabul.

Shots were traded when householders in the west of the Afghan capital mistook soldiers working with the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) for robbers and opened fire.

ISAF spokesman Tony Marshall told BBC News Online that nobody was hurt and two men were arrested after a building was sealed off and searched.

He said the British-led force was perfectly satisfied a case of mistaken identity was to blame for the incident, in an area of the city "terrorised by armed bandits".

Gangs' demands

It was the first time the troops had experienced problems with the neighbourhood watch schemes, set up following a series of raids on homes by men armed with automatic weapons.

We're working hard with the local community and local police to make sure we don't have a tragic shooting

ISAF spokesman

The gangs have been demanding food, money and valuables from residents.

Mr Marshall said the peacekeepers were fired on from a rooftop at about 0230 Kabul time on Saturday.

He said: "The local police force was called in, and they went in and arrested two men. Under questioning, it was found they were householders who mistakenly fired on our patrol, believing they were armed intruders."

The men were later released.

'Frank discussions'

Mr Marshall said British troops have begun regular night patrols in areas affected by the bandits and discussions were taking place to prevent gunfights starting by mistake in the future.

He said: "We're working hard with the local community and local police to make sure we don't have a tragic shooting on either their side or ours."

British troops have been sealing off the village of Barjay in south-west Kabul every night since Monday and claim it has driven the bandits away.

Mr Marshall said the policy could be extended to other areas targeted by the armed gangs and "frank discussions" have been held with a warlord suspected of involvement in the raids.

'Unprovoked' shooting

The 18-nation, 4,500-member ISAF is helping maintain security in Kabul during the transition to a more stable government in Afghanistan.

British paratroopers in the city came under fire twice in one week in February.

On Wednesday, 20 February there was a brief exchange of gunfire when suspected armed robbers were disturbed by the troops and then fled. 

Four days earlier troops from the same regiment fired at an Afghan car, killing a young man and wounding four others, including a pregnant woman. 

The British peacekeepers said they were responding to gunfire, but witnesses said the shooting was unprovoked.

 

 

By Larry Jagan  BBC correspondent in Rangoon

The foreign ministers of Burma, Thailand and India have concluded a historic summit, agreeing to establish closer economic ties and construct a major highway connecting the three countries.

They all stressed the value the scheme would have - not only for their countries, but for Asia as a whole.

Burma's foreign minister told the BBC it was the beginning of a new era of co-operation.

The two-day meeting in Rangoon had been planned for some time, but it had been delayed to fit in with the Indian minister's tight schedule and domestic problems. 

High on symbolism

The rapport between the three foreign ministers was obvious from the start. 

They joked together, and clearly had developed a warm personal relationship. 

The countries will be linked through Mandalay

And, after two days of meetings, that was probably the most important result of this historic summit. 

It was high on symbolism to cover the fact that there were no real concrete results. 

The three countries have agreed in principle to develop a very ambitious road network, linking northern Thailand with India's north-east through Burma. 

These roads will also give Thailand and India access to an important deep sea port on Burma's coast. 

All three countries hope that this will increase bilateral aid, and give producers in the new regional grouping access to the markets in Europe to the west from Burma, and the US in the east through the highway which links Thailand, through Laos and Cambodia, to Vietnam's deep sea port of Danang. 

Finance snags

The Burmese foreign minister Win Aung told the BBC he hoped the project would be completed within the next two years. 

The biggest problem though remains unresolved - how to finance it. 

The three countries want to set up a consortium that will then seek institutional funding from international financial institutions like the Asian Development Bank and the World Bank. 

There is concern at the growing drugs trade

They hope to attract private investment as well. 

None of the participants in the summit were prepared to estimate how much money is needed, but regional economists believe the total plan is a multi-billion dollar scheme. 

They remain highly sceptical that the funds will in fact be found to complete the project. 

Unless the three governments involved come up with most of the finance, the idea of a new pan-Asia highway is likely to remain a pipedream for some time to come. 

The head of the largest Roman Catholic diocese in the United States has revealed that he has been accused of sexual misconduct with a teenage schoolgirl. 

Cardinal Roger Mahony of Los Angeles strongly denies the allegations, which were made last month, but relate to an incident more than 30 years ago. 

He said he had asked for investigations by both police and the church.

My personal integrity demands that I refute this

Cardinal Mahony

The cardinal is believed to be the most senior sitting American church official to be accused of sexual misconduct, in a series of scandals over the past few months. 

Priests in several states have been removed since the trial earlier this year of defrocked Boston priest John Geoghan, who was sentenced to prison for child molestation.

The Church is facing mounting criticism following allegations that it covered up cases of abuse for decades.

'Hurtful allegations'

The latest accusation of sexual abuse was made by a woman in Fresno who told church officials there last month of the alleged assault.

The scandal has rocked the Catholic Church

She said she had been knocked unconscious in an incident at a Catholic high school in 1970 when Cardinal Mahony was a priest in Fresno. She alleged that when she came to, Father Mahony was hovering over her. 

"I know people are not going to believe it, but it happened to me," she said. 

In a statement late on Friday, Cardinal Mahoney said his personal integrity demanded that he refute the charges.

"Such allegations are hurtful and troubling to me. Yet I continue to pray fervently for those who make them," he said. 

The Los Angeles diocese, which numbers five million Catholics, has opened an investigation into the case and interviewed the woman complainant.

A police investigation is also under way, according to the Los Angeles Times. 

LA police have said they are investigating reports that the diocese removed six to 12 priests accused of sexual abuse in cases dating back up to 10 years.

Suicide

In another development, a Catholic priest accused of sexually molesting a girl two decades ago has been found dead after apparently committing suicide.

Rooney was due to discuss abuse allegations with church officials

In Ohio, the body of 48-year-old Father Don Rooney was discovered slumped in his car in a shopping centre car park in Cleveland on Thursday with a gunshot wound to the head, police said.

A suicide note was reported to have been found nearby.

The allegations, which came to light after the unnamed woman contacted church leaders, have not been fully investigated or substantiated.

The alarm was raised after Rooney failed to appear at a meeting with local church officials.

Authorities in India's western state of Gujarat say at least three people were killed overnight in religious violence.

Police said two people were killed when two groups clashed in the Vatwa area on the outskirts of the capital Ahmedabad late on Friday. 

The death toll continues to mount

Police said they opened fire to disperse the group.

Another person was shot dead by police in the city's Sabarmati area when a mob surrounded a police station demanding the release of some people detained for questioning.

The killings followed a visit to the area on Thursday by Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee, who condemned the recent wave of communal violence as "madness".

Authorities said curfews had been relaxed in several areas of Ahmedabad on Saturday morning, but were still in place in the neighbouring towns of Lunawad, Modasa and Umreth.

Criticism

There have been continued eruptions of violence in Gujarat since authorities quelled a mass outbreak of communal rioting last month that left at least 700 dead.

The National Commission for Minorities (NMC) has told Gujarat state officials that it is not satisfied with the action taken since the riots.

The chairman of the influential official body, Justice Shamim Ahmed, held talks with state administration officials including Chief Secretary G Subba Rao in Delhi.

Vajpayee was heckled when he visited the area

Mr Ahmed said after the meeting that the commission suggested several measures for the state government to act upon, including an increase in compensation for the affected families. 

The NMC also called for the immediate restoration and construction of religious structures damaged or destroyed in the violence.

Mr Ahmed said people living in camps should be moved to safer places for which the government should allocate land. 

He added that policemen deployed in areas prone to riots should comprise people from different minority communities including Muslims, Sikhs and Buddhists. 

The prime minister, on his first visit to Gujarat since the violence broke out in late February, told riot victims that the failure of the local administration in preventing the clashes would be investigated.

The state government is controlled by Mr Vajpayee's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

It is the worst religious violence in India in a decade

The state's Chief Minister Narendra Modi has come in for particular criticism over the way the authorities reacted to the violence.

Angry victims heckled the prime minister, saying his visit had come too late.

Tens of thousands of people, mostly Muslims, are sheltering in more than 100 camps in the state.

Relief workers allege that conditions in the camps were hastily improved ahead of the prime minister's visit.

 

Zaffar Abbas  BBC correspondent in Islamabad

Commonwealth Secretary General Don McKinnon has criticised the Pakistan president's decision to hold a referendum to extend his stay in power.

And several opposition groups in Pakistan have described General Pervez Musharraf's announcement as unconstitutional and have called for a boycott.

The Jamaat-e-Islami party has asked the Supreme Court to prevent the referendum taking place.

In his televised speech on Friday, General Musharraf said the referendum, to be held in the first week of May, is to seek a public mandate to remain president for another few years. 

Such a device has also been used in the past by a former military leader in Pakistan [General Zia ul-Haq] to extend his term in office

Don McKinnon

In a statement issued in London, Don McKinnon said the road map given by General Musharraf for the restoration of democracy did not include the holding of such a referendum.

The Commonwealth suspended Pakistan following General Musharraf's 1999 coup.

The Commonwealth secretary general is the first prominent world leader to criticise the move. 

Many others are still holding back their comments. 

Valued ally after 11 September

Senior Pakistani officials say they are not expecting any international outrage, as General Musharraf is now regarded as an ally of the West because of the support he has given for the US-led military campaign in Afghanistan. 

But there has been a strong reaction within the country, where several opposition groups have issued a statement to condemn the move.

Criticism has come from most of the Islamic groups. 

The hardline Jamaat-e-Islami party has filed a constitutional petition against the referendum, and has also asked the Supreme Court to investigate remarks made by Mr Musharraf in a speech on Friday.

He is accused of failing to clarify that the referendum would be in violation of the constitution. 

Other critics include the mainstream opposition parties of the two former prime ministers, Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif. 

Musharraf has his domestic opponents

Miss Bhutto's Pakistan People's Party says the decision is illegal, unconstitutional and immoral, and the alliance of the six hardline Islamic parties says it plans to start a nationwide campaign for the boycott of the referendum. 

One of the serious concerns of the main opposition groups is General Musharraf's declared intention to create a national security council in order to constitutionalise the role of the military in the affairs of governance.

So far, only some of the relatively small political groups have supported General Musharraf's decision. 

But the military ruler is convinced that the majority of the people support his policies and that they will come out in big numbers on the day of the referendum to vote in his favour.

Yugoslavia has moved closer to the handover of wanted war crimes suspects, after political leaders agreed in principle to pass a law on co-operating with the UN war crimes tribunal.

The governing coalition and the main party from Yugoslavia's smaller republic, Montegnegro, say they have agreed to vote on a proposal early next week, but details have still to be worked out. 

Powell: Still to decide whether Yugoslavia gets aid

Last week, Yugoslavia's failure to meet a deadline to handover indicted war crimes suspects triggered a freeze on $40m of US aid, pending a final decision by US Secretary of State Colin Powell. 

Among those the Hague tribunal wants to see handed over are Serbian President Milan Milutinovic and the Bosnian Serb wartime General, Ratko Mladic, who is believed to be hiding out in Yugoslavia.

Divisive issue

A BBC correspondent in the region says the Yugoslav Government is deeply divided over the handing of war crimes suspects.

Nationalists, including Yugoslav President Vojislav Kostunica, insist a law on co-operation with the tribunal must be in place before they will consider handing over any suspects.

That law needs the backing of the Montenegrins who were, until this weekend, withholding their support. 

Yugoslav President Kostunica has been highly critical of the tribunal

But the speaker of the Yugoslav parliament, Dragoljub Micunovic said on Saturday the rival factions had "agreed in principle on the law on co-operation with The (UN) Hague Tribunal".

Pragmatists within Yugoslavia's government support co-operation with the tribunal, seeing it as a necessary evil in order to unlock international aid. 

Last week, the Serbian Government also adopted a new decree on arresting war crimes suspects.

The US special envoy on war crimes, Pierre-Richard Prosper, warned during an unexpected visit to Belgrade on Friday that Yugoslavia stood to lose further aid if it did not begin the handover of indicted people.

New handovers

The Yugoslav cabinet also agreed to co-operate with the tribunal, though only after the 31 March US deadline had already passed.

"The federal government decided unanimously... to co-operate fully with the tribunal and to demand all state organs to also co-operate fully," said Foreign Minister Goran Svilanovic. 

Asked if the move meant new handovers, he said: "Yes, I think that after such a decision all state bodies are obliged to cooperate with The Hague, which means... to arrest those accused of war crimes and transfer them to The Hague".

The cabinet also agreed to open up access to government archives. That is expected to strengthen the case against former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic, currently on trial in The Hague on charges including genocide.

The arrest of Mr Milosevic last year was also triggered by a US aid deadline.

The Queen has said she was "very touched" by the thousands of people turning out to pay their respects to the Queen Mother, who is lying-in-state in Westminster Hall.

Long queues have formed for a second day, with 40,000 having paid tribute so far and an estimated 50,000 queuing to do so. 

A Buckingham Palace spokeswoman said: "The Queen has been very touched that so many people are paying their respects. 

Click here for full audio and video coverage

"This is a very rare occasion and it has been difficult to estimate the public response." 

One minute's silence was held before the Grand National race at Aintree, and the National Anthem was sung.

The hall, which stayed open all night on Friday, will now also remain open overnight on Saturday and Sunday.

On Monday it will be open from 0800 BST until a time yet to be decided time in the evening.

Queuing advice

Wait is currently six hours  Waterloo or Embankment are nearest tubes to the queue  Hall open overnight Saturday and Sunday  Wrap up warm; bring refreshments  Police queuing hotline: 0207 593 7851, 8am-8pm

Buckingham Palace has said the Westminster Abbey funeral service on Tuesday will be traditional and ecumenical, with more than 2,000 guests attending.

There will be 25 foreign royal guests, including Prince Albert of Monaco, the King and Queen of Norway, King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia of Spain, the King of Sweden, and the Sultan of Brunei.

Prince Charles's partner Camilla Parker Bowles will also attend the service, as will the First Lady of the United States, Laura Bush.

A small but grand procession, led by more than 100 pipers and followed by nine members of the Royal Family, will draw the Queen Mother's coffin from the hall to the nearby abbey.

'Awe-inspiring'

The service, which will begin at 1130 BST and last for about 50 minutes, will include two "gentle and informal" prayers aimed at reflecting the Queen Mother's character.

On Saturday afternoon the queue to see the lying-in-state stretched for three miles - crossing the River Thames to the South Bank, and snaking all the way east towards St Paul's Cathedral.

Police estimated the wait to be six or seven hours, and advised those thinking of visiting Westminster Hall to wrap up warm and bring refreshment.

The queue is snaking back across Lambeth Palace, along the South Bank, over Hungerford Bridge and east along the Embankment

The Red Cross said it had dealt with one diabetic collapse and three minor injuries. It dealt with two heart attacks during Friday's procesion.

One visitor, Jane Lindemann from South Africa, told BBC News she had to wait for two hours early on Saturday morning - but was "extremely pleased" that she did so.

"It was absolutely beautiful, and very, very moving. The hall itself is absolutely fantastic, and just the air of respect was awesome."

The coffin is standing on a seven-foot high catafalque, draped in the Queen Mother's personal standard and surmounted by her diamond-encrusted crown.

The coffin stands on a seven-foot high platform
	Queen Mother's funeral The public can see the lying-in-state until 1800 BST on Monday Up to 40,000 people had visited by Saturday lunchtime Tuesday's funeral will be attended by 2,100 guests The coffin will move to Westminster Abbey at 1118 BST for an ecumenical service Find out more

It is also topped with a single wreath of white roses and sweet peas from the Queen, reading 'In Loving Memory, Lilibet'.

Four Welsh Guards are standing vigil at the four corners of the coffin, and part of the floor has been carpeted to muffle the tread of mourners.

On Friday an estimated 400,000 people turned out to watch the coffin as it was carried from St James's Palace to Westminster Hall in the biggest display of pageantry for a generation.

The BBC said about three-quarters of the daytime television audience - about seven million people - watched the procession on BBC and ITV.

South Korea says it has achieved a breakthrough in reviving relations with the North.

A diplomatic mission to the Communist North ended on Saturday with a joint statement in which the two Koreas pledged to fully revive their rapprochement process, begun after a historic summit two years ago. 

South Korean presidential envoy Lim Dong-won said on his return from the North that North Korean leader Kim Jong-il was also ready to resume talks with the United States and Japan.

Leader Kim Jong-il has expressed willingness to open dialogue with the United States, and will accept a US envoy's visit to the North

South Korean envoy

These were the first public talks between the two Koreas since November. 

North Korea suspended relations with the South, angered by what it saw as the hardline policy of the US, a close ally of Seoul.

In January, President Bush said North Korea was part of an axis of evil which was developing weapons of mass destruction. 

Achieving results

"We have brought good news," Mr Lim said on his return from the North where he handed Kim Jong-il a letter from South Korean President Kim Dae-Jung, urging him to resume stalled ties and dialogue. 

He told reporters his four-day visit had achieved better than expected results.

Not only had the two sides agreed to normalise inter-Korean ties, but Kim Jong-il had accepted the request to reopen dialogue with the US and Japan. 

Korean accord

North Korea to accept visit by US envoy  Resumption of family reunions  Talks on economic co-operation  Work on cross-border railway

He quoted Kim Jong-il as saying that he would welcome a planned visit to North Korea by US envoy Jack Pritchard.

The date would be decided by Washington and Pyongyang, Mr Lim said.

The BBC's Caroline Gluck in Seoul says there is a sense of relief that Mr Lim's visit has achieved results - despite its tough rhetoric, the North still appears to be interested in dialogue with the South.

Fresh hope

The accord announced on Saturday also includes the resumption of family reunions, and talks on tourism and economic co-operation. 

It also pledged that the two Koreas would resume work on a cross-border railway and roads, including new links along the east coast.

The two Koreas remain technically in a state of war

The talks have given fresh hope to millions of families on both sides of the border that they might one day be reunited with loved-ones they have not seen for more than 50 years, since the Korean War.

There have only been three limited exchanges between elderly relatives since a landmark summit between the two Korean leaders in Seoul in June 2000. 

Talks between North Korea and Japan have faltered over Tokyo's demand that Pyongyang return Japanese nationals allegedly abducted by North Korea in the 1970s and 80s. 

Several hundred Zimbabweans have defied a police ban and taken to the streets in Harare and other cities to protest about last month's disputed elections. 

Riot police have been deployed and roadblocks set up at strategic locations across the country, but small groups still assembled in various locations, some waving banners demanding democratic reform.

It is totally repressive. The police ban on our planned peaceful demonstrations in unlawful and unconstitutional. We are going ahead, even if they have to keep jailing people

Protest organiser Lovemore Madhuku

"Police sealed off our starting point. We are trying to regroup," said Douglas Mwonzora, one of the organisers of a planned march through the centre of Harare.

Home Affairs Minister, John Nkomo, had warned that anti-government marches were illegal and those who took part would be prosecuted.

Earlier President Robert Mugabe ruled out another election, warning that he would not accept any challenges to his authority.

"The national poll will be held six years hence and let this sink in to Britain and... MDC (Movement for Democratic Change)," he said in a speech to his ruling Zanu-PF party.

Protests

A coalition of churches, trade unions and students groups had called for massive street protests following President Robert Mugabe's controversial re-election last month.

The NCA says Mugabe has too many powers

Ahead of the planned demonstrations, 354 opposition activists were arrested and held for 24 hours, the opposition said.

The arrests came as mediators from South Africa and Nigeria tried to reconcile Mr Mugabe's government with the opposition Movement for Democratic Change.

The MDC insists that the election was rigged and its leader, Morgan Tsvangirai has said he is only prepared to discuss the date of a new poll, held under international supervision, not any proposals for a government of national unity.

Retribution

Meanwhile in the Zimbabwe countryside, the MDC says its members are still being victimised by triumphant Zanu-PF supporters. 

Tsvangirai will only discuss Mugabe's departure

The claim is backed by the Commercial Farmers' Union - the voice of Zimbabwe's white landowners - which has been reporting an increased level of farm invasions, looting and harassment of its members. 

It says a large proportion of the incidents seem to have been retribution against farmers who supported Mr Tsvangirai. 

The War Veterans Association, which led the farm invasions, has now issued an ultimatum to all farmers whose land has been designated for resettlement to pack up and leave. 

It says they are using their farms to organise against the government, and make negative publicity against Zimbabwe. 

UK Prime Minister Tony Blair has arrived in the US for talks at President George W Bush's Texas ranch.

Discussions are likely to be dominated by the Middle East crisis, with talks on possible military action against Iraq only a second priority.

Mr Blair was met in Waco by Mr Bush's National Security Adviser, Condoleeza Rice, before boarding a helicopter to the President's private Prairie Chapel ranch in nearby Crawford.

We can't pick and choose the interlocutors we have, but it's important to make sure the dialogue is resumed

Tony Blair On Arafat and Sharon

Plans for military action against Iraq over its alleged build-up of weapons of mass destruction had been expected to dominate the summit in Texas.

But the focus shifted to the Middle East conflict amid escalating violence and after President Bush called on Israel to withdraw from Palestinian areas and implement a ceasefire.

Mr Blair told reporters travelling with him: "We will obviously be looking at ideas that can lead to a ceasefire, which is the essential precondition so that they get back into a process of political dialogue."

'Few grounds for optimism'

The prime minister confirmed the focus would now be on achieving the pause in Israeli-Palestinian violence needed for US Secretary of State Colin Powell to hold productive talks in the region.

"What's important is to make sure that we have the minimum agreements necessary in order for this influence to happen," Mr Blair said.

He added there were "few grounds for optimism", but said he believed neither Israel nor the Palestinian authority wanted the current situation to continue.

Mr Bush: Both sides must act to halt conflict

Liberal Democrat foreign affairs spokesman Menzies Campbell urged President Bush to do more to put pressure on the Israelis to pull out of the West Bank. 

"There are three people who hold the fate of this whole business in their hands. They are President Bush, Ariel Sharon and Yasser Arafat," he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

Mr Campbell said he expected Mr Blair to make a statement to an "anxious" Commons on his return from Texas. 

Challenged over whether Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat and Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon could ever deliver peace, Mr Blair told reporters on board his chartered British Airways jet: "We can't pick and choose the interlocutors we have, but it's important to make sure the dialogue is resumed."

Mr Bush's unexpected decision to send Secretary of State Colin Powell to the region is being seen as evidence that he realises he must intervene there if he is to win international support for any future strike against Iraq.

The president has also criticised Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat for failing to stop suicide attacks by militants.

On Friday, in an interview for ITV's Tonight with Trevor McDonald, Mr Bush said it was a "silly notion" to suggest that the US had not done enough over the Middle East, saying: "We acted strong."

'No immediate plans'

He said he was sending Mr Powell to the region "because I began to worry that the foundations that are necessary to a lasting peace were becoming eroded".

Mr Bush said in his ITV interview that they would discuss "all options" over action on Iraq but there were "no immediate plans" for action.

He said: "I made up my mind that Saddam needs to go. That's about all I'm willing to share with you."

Downing Street has stressed that the trip is taking place with the full agreement of Buckingham Palace and that its tone "will be in keeping with the period of national mourning" following the death of the Queen Mother.

As well as the Middle East crisis, the two leaders will discuss Afghanistan, where the first contingent of Royal Marines have arrived for operations against remnants of the Taleban and al-Qaeda